Auxiliary flash assembly for a medical instrument

A medical diagnostic instrument comprising:

• an instrument housing having a light source;
• a portable electronic device coupled to the instrument housing, the portable electronic device including an electronic imaging element and a source of flash illumination assembly:
• a light detector configured to detect a flash output of the source of flash illumination;
• a trigger circuit associated with the light detector;
• signal conditioning electronics associated with the trigger circuit for receiving a trigger pulse from the trigger circuit synchronously or substantially synchronously with the flash output;
• and
• in which the signal conditioning electronics are associated with a light source of the medical diagnostic instrument wherein the signal conditioning electronics are configured to produce a substantially synchronized and re-created flash using the light source.

A method for synchronously or substantially synchronously re-creating a flash of a portable electronic device that is attached to a medical instrument, the medical instrument including a light detector disposed in relation to an integrated flash assembly of the attached portable electronic device, the method comprising:

• capturing an image of a target using the portable electronic device;
• detecting light emitted by the flash assembly with a light sensing apparatus;
• converting the light emitted by the flash assembly into an electrical signal;
• directing the electrical signal to a trigger circuit and signal conditioning electronics synchronously or substantially synchronously with the flash output, and
• configuring one or more light sources of the medical instrument to produce a substantially synchronized flash output.